Flange bending apparatus



y 1944. u. A. BARTEE "2,348,185

FLANGE BENDING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 19,42 zsheets-sheet 1 (Ittorncg May 9, 1944. u. A. BARTEE 2,348,185

FLANGE BENDING APPARATUS Filed June 15-, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet z I 3nventor ttorne Patented May 9, 1944 umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE I f 2,a4s,1s5

FLANGE BENDING APPARATUS Ussury'A Bartee, San Pablo, one. Application June 15, 1942, Serial No. 447,136

2 Claims; (01. 153-28) My invention relates to flanging apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for the bending of flanges of channel beams. a

In the application of channel beams to certain uses, it is found necessary to bend one or both of the flanges inwardly or outwardly out of their normal perpendicular relationship to the intermediate or floor section of the beam, and the angle to which the flange is to be bent is often somewhat critical.

In accordance with prior practice, such bending of the flanges is accomplished in a hit ormiss fashion'by applying a wrench to the flange at successive intervals as a beam is drawn from a preheating furnace. Accu'racy depends in large measure upon the skill of the operator, and factors quitebeyond his control often leave the flange and floor section distorted and irregular.

Among the objects of my invention are (1) To provide a novel and'improvecl apparatus for the bending'of flanges, which shall permit of a high degree of accuracy and uniformity in results, and without the use of skilled labor,-

(2) To-provide a novel andimprovecl apparatus for the bending of flanges, which will preclude buckling or distortion in the finished product,

and

3) To provide a novel and improved apparatus for the bending of flanges, which is simple in structure yet rugged and dependable in use.

Additional objects will be brought out inrthefollowing description of my invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswhere- Figure .1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of my invention; Figure 2 is a plan viewof the same; Figure 3' is an end view in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a' view in section, taken on the line 44' of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, I provide an assembly comprising a yoke 5 including a pair of converging legs! joined by an intermediate section or cross bar 9.. Adjacent the extremity of each leg and normal thereto. there is afiixed a short inwardly directed shaft ii for rotatabl carrying-a'frustoconical shaped bending roller is. The rollers are disposed with their smaller ends toward. each diate section of the yoke. The yoke and roller assembly is supported between a pair of arcuate 0r semi-circular guides I! which are disposed in parallel relationship to each other and anchored at their ends to base plates l9 by welding or other suitable anchoring means. A section of each guide, to one side of the center thereof, has a slot 2| formed therein, to receive a guide pin 23 which passes through the center of the intermediate section of the yoke. This permits adjustment of the angular position of the yoke and roller assebly in accordance with the angle to which a flange is to be bent. 'In employing the apparatus thus far described, for the purpose for which the apparatus is intended, the yoke and roller assembly is first shifted to a substantially vertical position, and a beam 25, as it is withdrawn from the preheating furnace, is caused to travel under the arcuate guides, with the front end of one of the flanges 21 engaging between the frusto-conical shaped rollers, at a point substantially coinciding with the center of curvature of the arcuate guides. An operator grasps the handle and swings the yoke through the desired angle to which the flange is to be bent from its normal vertical position, and the yoke is thereafterheld in that position while the entire beam is withdrawn from the furnace. An accurate indication of the angle may be determined by suitable markings 29 on the arcuate guides along the slotted portion thereof.

To assure the desired angle of bend, when the direction of bend is outward, it is-essential that the beam be maintained in surface contact with the floor over which it is being pulled, to avoid tilting of the beam, and to this end, I provide a hold-down roller 3| on a shaft 33 supported between a pair of supporting bars 35anchored between the arcuate guides. These bars will necessarilybe disposed at an angle to provide sufil cient clearance with respect to the adjustment range of the yoke 5, and to permit such angular disposition of the supporting bars, the hold-down roller, like the flanging rollers, will'be frustoconical in shape. The vertical thrust against this roller, caused by the tendency of the beam to tilt under the bending force of the yoke and roller assembly on the flange, may be taken up by a brace bar 31 anchored between the arcuate guides E! and welded at its lower end to the upper supporting bar for the hold-down roller.

The outward bending. effect on the beam flange" beam as close to the flange as possible, and is of sufficient thickness to engage a substantial portion of the floor section of the beam.

It will be realized that the yoke and roller assembly, when put in operation, will be exposed to tween the, bending rollers l3, and into this block;

I screw-thread the roller shafts II. This tie block serves to resist any tendency on the partof the rollers l3 to spread during use. Additional rigidification of the assembly is realized by a re as viewed in Figure 1.

ports the thrust neutralization rollers, will have to be lowered slightly at one end in the direction of the outside roller to effect operative engagement therewith between the thrust neutralization roller and its associated bending roller.

The apparatus has been illustrated in the process of producing an outward bend of the flange. To utilize the same apparatus in the operation of producing an inward bend of a flange, the pin 23 may be removed and the yoke and roller. assembly reversed so that the lower bending roller will be on the left, instead of the right With the machine thus adjustechthe beam will be drawn from the furinforcing and bracing frame Al or rectangular;

shape, whose side members 43 are welded or outer sides of the yoke legs 1. The frame snugly fits in sliding engagement between a pair of ,contact each other along their cylindrical surfaces while engaging the bending rollers l3 with their conical surfaces. To take up for wear or play between the various elements and thereby assure proper engagement between the thrust neutralizing rollers and the bending rollers, the thrust neutralizing rollers could be adjustably mounted in this cross-bar 55 by extending the shafts of these rollers through the'intermediate section of the yoke in threaded engagement therewith.

The hold-down roller 3| may be suitably braced against side thrust by a bar 51 welded to the upper supporting bar for the hold-down roller, and

nace so that its left flange wi11 travel approximately under the center of the arcuate guides of the apparatus for engagement between the otherwise suitably attached at their middle to the i extending to and engaging the reinforced crossbeams 45 to which it may preferably be welded.

The apparatus thus described is capable of efficiently producing the desired angle of bend in the flange of a channel beam, withrhigh efficiency and considerable uniformity of results. Guessworkis no.longer a factor, since it is only necessary foran operator to swing the yoke through tthe desired angle and hold it in that one posi- Bestresults are obtainedby so disposing the bending rollers l3 that the rollers engage the flange and hold such engagement at the lowest point on either side thereof. To fulfill this relationship, the conical surfaces'of the bending roller engaging the outer surface of the flange, must be slightly lower in the direction of the floor, than the other. This relationship may be realized by utilizing a slightly larger bending roller on that side which engages the outer surface of the flange, or a roller of the same size as the other maybe employed, in which case the supporting shaft for that roller will be mounted at a slightly greater distance down the yoke leg from the intermediate section of the yoke. In such case, the cross-bar which supbending rollers.

When thus engaged, the yoke will be adjusted to the desired angle in the same direction as previously, whereby the proper angle of bend inwardly will be realized. Under these conditions, the channel beam will be located out of the region of the hold-down roller 3|, but in as much as there will be no tendency toward tilting of the beam under conditions for producing an inward bend of a flange, the hold-down roller is not necessary.

It will be apparent from the above description of my invention, that the same will fulfill the objects set forth previously, and while I have disclosed a preferred embodiment thereof in detail, it will be apparent that the same is subject to alteration and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, accordingly,

do not desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details of the preferred embodiment described by me, except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for bending the flanges of channel beams comprising, an assembly including a yoke having an intermediate section and legs extending from the extremities thereof and converging toward each other, aninwardly directed shaft adjacent the end of each of said legs, a frusto-conical roller mounted on each of said shafts with the conical surfaces of said rollers facing each other and spaced approximately the thickness of a flange at their point of closest approach, a tie block connecting the inner ends of said shafts, and a handle operatively connected to said yoke.

- 2. Apparatus for bending the flanges of channel beams comprising, an assembly including a yoke having an intermediate section and legs extending from the extremities thereof and converging toward each other, a frusto-conical roller rotatably mounted on each leg adjacent the free end thereof with the conical surfaces of said rollers facing each other and spaced approximately the thickness of a flange at their point of closest approach, a cross-bar connected'between the legs of said yoke at a location above said rollers, a pair of thrust neutralization rollers supported by said cross-bar in engagement with each other and with said first rollers, a handle operatively connected to said yoke, and means rigidifying said assembly to absorb strains and stresses developed during the bending of 1a flange.

USSURY A. BAR'I'EE. 

